The study assesses impacts of population growth and migration status on academic performance and participation of 1,743 white high school seniors from primarily nonmetropolitan areas of Utah. Data from a survey of the state's 1980 graduating seniors are employed in the analysis. Indicators of academic performance are the number of organizations in…

A task was developed to differentiate the reasoning of elementary school students in fifth, sixth, and seventh grades. Subjects completed 16 matrices containing two, three, or four dimensions and varying in the embeddedness of the dimensions. They also solved a formal operational task assessing ability to isolate, exclude, and include variables.…

The structure of incentives and disincentives for student effort in school, and how this structure may be modified by educational reform, were investigated using data from the High School and Beyond (HS&B) survey. A framework was designed which blends sociologists' focus on school organization and educational stratification with economists'…

The literacy demands encountered in schools are considerably different from those encountered in the workplace. Existing measures used to analyze literacy demands and abilities in the workplace are not suitable for analyzing the same demands and abilities in schools. Methods that are effective for general job analysis can be specifically applied…

A plan to update a county school system's school guidance professional development program is described. The "Counselors of Tomorrow" model served as the impetus for this plan. The process in which the school counselors participated is described and includes these steps: (1) counselors participated in a conference which culminated in the…

This study sought to establish the degree of uniformity that exists between the university supervisor and the cooperating teacher, and between each of those and the student teacher, as each of the three pairs evaluates the student's performance according to common criteria. Participants in the study were 81 student teachers, their cooperating…

According to the classical working memory perspective, tasks such as command and control decision-making should be performed less effectively if extraneous material must be retained in short-term memory. Only marginal support for this prediction was obtained for a simulation involving scheduling trucking and transportation missions, although…

Latent trait models are presented that can be used for test design in the context of a theory about the variables that underlie task performance. Examples of methods for decomposing and testing hypotheses about the theoretical variables in task performance are given. The methods can be used to determine the processing components that are involved…

Many educators agree that parental involvement is an important factor in a child's achievement in school. Views of the quantity of involvement differ. This one-semester study was designed to determine if parental knowledge of classroom objectives would significantly influence student achievement in physical science. Thirty-three physical science…

Small Group Instructional Diagnosis (SGID) is a formative evaluation process used in the Seattle Community College District (SCCD) to help instructors assess their effectiveness and improve their performance in class. Instructors invite a SGID facilitator to meet with their classes in the middle of the term. In the instructor's absence, students…

A study examined the job functions of certified financial planners, the areas of knowledge needed by new financial planners, the links between these knowledge areas and the job functions of financial planners, and the validity of the examinations currently used by the College of Financial Planning to certify financial planners. A multimethod…

To answer questions regarding what factors contribute most to job search success in business and a business career, what specific courses contribute most to career success, and what would be the basic skills of an ideal manager, a study assessed the relative importance of various factors, skills, and courses in the hiring and advancement of…

This paper looks at performance standards and related policies as tools for influencing the direction of local programming as well as ensuring accountability throughout the service delivery system. It suggests various ways in which the different components of the Job Training Partnership Act's performance management system can be used to promote…

The many forms of performance appraisal for faculty in Great Britain are examined. Advice and suggestions about appropriate training are offered, and conclusions are drawn about the kind of system that is most beneficial to the education service and to people employed in higher and further education institutions. Five chapters focus on:…

A study examined the effectiveness of five mandatory welfare employment programs in working with different segments of the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) caseload. The study considered programs in San Diego, California; Baltimore, Maryland; several counties in Virginia; Little Rock and another county in Arkansas; and Cook County…